Alright so let me give you an idea of what it is like in northern Illinois right now. Its snowing heavily and been snowing heavily for about 3 hours and will keep on snowing for about 3 hours more. So you know what that mean. REVIEW TIME YAAAAAAY.
Today on the chopping block is
Blind Guardian ’s Imaginations from the Other Side, an epic masterpiece done in a point of the bands career right when they were turning the preverbal boat away from speed metal and more towards power metal. I picked this up on my search for something in BG’s earlier career and boy was I pleased. It gives us such great songs such as the title track
Imaginations from the Other Side , the dark and mysteries
Born in a Mourning Hall , and all around great song
And the Story Ends .
Now if you are a fan of BG and heard ANATO or Night fall in Middle Earth then you’ll noctice that this sounds MUCH different from those later works. For one there is a bit more emphasis on the guitars then on Hansi’s voice which also sounds grittier, and since they were still heavily influenced by speed metal the music as at a faster pace and has more energy.
But I’m being rude let me introduce these goliaths of Power metal
Quote:
|
Originally Posted by earlier review
Hansi Kürsch (vocals/bass) - In my mind the best vocalist sense Bruce Dickinson. He can sing anything between a low devilish growl and high pitched opera soprano. If I may seem like I’m praising him to much it is because he deserves every bit of praise he gets. The only downer is you cant hear his bass.
André Olbrich/Marcus Siepen (guitar) – Two more great musicians, with sweeping riffs and speed that not many can touch André Olbrich and Marcus Siepen are perfect at complimenting each others strength and hiding each others weaknesses (which there aren’t many of)
Thomen Stauch (drums) – Perfect drummer for this band. He brings the speed and power necessary for a power metal band, sadly though he left Blind Guardian in 2005.
|
Man I’m lazy
The Review
I guess I should start with the first great song on this album which also happens to be, coincidently, the first song on the album.
Imaginations from the other Side starts off with a baron windy sound followed by some drums and chimes until the opening riff comes in, which is full of energy. The chorus sounds like one big breakdown, and we hear , what is that, Hansi scream oh hooray. It is dark and a power metal classic great opener to a CD. Skip ahead ‘cause
I’m Alive tries to sound like the previous song but just doesn’t have the catchiness, but if you like cool. The next song of notice is the album’s semi-ballad
A Past and Future Secret . Like most of BG earlier ballads this has a medieval feel to it. It stays calm and collected for about 2 minutes until a soft timpani roll brings us to the chorus.
Now next up is a triafecta of great power metal calassics.
The Script for my Requiem ,
Mordred’s Song , and
Bourn in a Mourning Hall is proably the best three song stretch I have ever heard.
The Script for my Requiem is a song that is the deffination of what BG is all about. That would be super fast verses and choruses that get stuck in your head so you’ll be humming them all day. Now the instruments may seem like it should be a happy song but the lyrics and Hansi’s voice just make you sad and want to cry.
The Script for my Requiem fades seemlsy into
Mordred’s Song which is a bit softer but that doesn’t make it any less powerful. With superb guitar work by Olbrich, and Siepen this song is just oozing with emotion. You can especially feel it at the solo around 4:20 with Hansi moaning in the back round. They use the intro as the outro and it fades to silence. Now with those two songs I’ll feel pretty down cause they speak to me so. You know what I need an uplifting intro, and oh does
Bourn in a Mourning Hall provide. During the chorus Hansi doesn’t blast you with his excellent voice but he mesmerizes you with the rhythm of it. Hansi combind with the light >tinking< of the ride symbal is enough to make you strip down and rub yourself with thousand island dressing, or…is…that just me???
Now your proably saying to yourself “well Ace this sounds fantastic why are you writing this and not listening to it again.” Sadly this album is not perfect L. The only flaw of this masterpiece is the song
Bright Eyes . It is just dripping with fillerness (is fillerness even a word?) well any way it is. This song is just awkward. Like not getting caught with your pants down, but awkward like you go in for the kiss but the girl goes for the hug and your caught in this weird hug/kiss limbo. If
Blind Guardian where chefs at a restaurant and I was a custermer and they brought me
Bright Eyes as my main course I would take a bite and then have it sent back saying sorry but you put to much cheese on this song. Please do yourself a favor and skip this song.
The final two songs on this album seem to have a different…hmm tone I guess you could say.
Another Holy War has everything you are looking for in a
Blind Guardian song. Fast drumming, doubeled guitar solo’s, Hansi doing what he does, and a slow melodic break down to end the song. Ah here we have come to the crown achievement of IFOTS.
Blind Guardian has always had a knack for ending there albums off on a strong note, and this one is no different.
And the Story Ends is 5:57 minutes of pure power metal goodness. It starts off with drums marching you on, choirs entrancing you with their melodies, doubled guitars just doing want doubled guitars do which is sound cool. The verses of this song are in such a rhythm that I am sure that you could march to this song, march to this song all the way to the ends of the world. This song is uplifting yet depressing at the same time. It takes you to the highest of highs but all with a sense of knowing that it will be over soon. This song reminds of having to say goodbye to a good friend and trying to grasp the last fleeting moments with him/her. Simply a spectacular song.
Pros
- not as over produced as later works
- the speed and energy it brings
-And the Story Ends
Cons
-may all sound the same to the non power metal fan (via my sister)
-Bright Eyes
Another one in the bag, and a quick look out the window says we got about 4 inches and its still coming. AND THE REVIEW ENDS
‘Ace
